Times Like These
by trueRomance
Summary: Sometimes life doesn't turn out the way you expect it too.  Sometimes your dreams don't come true because of circumstances you can't control.  But in the end, the people you love...will always be there when you need them most.  LP
1. Work

"_**George Seaton once said; faith is believing in things even when common sense tells you not too. It is this faith that we all must have in order to overcome the shortcomings in our lives. No matter the obstacles we face, no matter the circumstances we see in front of us. In spite of the fact that we have been told over and over again that we can't do something. Never give up the hope, the faith in yourself that you can conquer anything. And if it all becomes too hard for you to face on your own…find a shoulder to lean on for support. Because sometimes all we need… is a little help."**_

_** An Unkindness of Ravens - Lucas Scott**_

**One: Work**

"**Same old boy…same sweet girl. Five years down the road…"**

There really is nothing quite like watching the sunset over the ocean waters. The varying colors and rays glinting off the waves crashing below. Every night you could come out and see something beautiful. Sure most people probably take it for granted, having something so gorgeous outside their window. However, Peyton Sawyer knew better then that. She cherished each night she sat on her bedroom windowsill and watched the sun make its way behind the horizon. If she could capture the peace it gives her each night in a bottle, she would have a room full of serenity.

Peyton's situation may not be what she had expected it to be five years ago when she left her first home. It hadn't fallen into place as she had once thought it would. The money she made wasn't great; the job wasn't anything near what she wanted to do. She didn't live on her own, she could barely afford to put gas in her car. But watching that sunset from her bedroom was always enough to make her smile.

"Knock, knock." The voice called softly from her bedroom door as it opened slowly.

Looking over, Peyton saw the other thing in this city that made her smile. Her roommate and best friend, Brooke Davis.

"Hey. I didn't hear you come in." Peyton said, sliding her knees up to her chest as her fingers twiddled with her mother's old cancer bracelet.

"Yeah." Brooke said as she moved to the chair by Peyton's bed and sat down heavily in exhaustion. "I had to put in a few extra hours to get that damn article finished. I swear, it shouldn't be that hard to write about designer shoes." Peyton laughed softly, looking down at her hands while nodding a little. "How bout you, how was your day?"

"Same as yesterday. Nothing like serving eggs and steak to hungry tourists all day." Peyton said with a forced laugh.

Brooke nodded. She knew that Peyton's job wasn't what she wanted to be doing. But she also knew that Peyton needed money and this was the only job she could land. It was supposed to be temporary, but that was three years ago.

"Sorry." She whispered whole-heartedly. "One day I'll remember to stop asking you that question." Brooke said with a smile.

"It's all good."

"So…I'm webcam chatting with Nate and Haley tonight, you wanna join me…or us. This webcam thing is so cool. I should have used yours a lot more back in the day."

Peyton quirked her eyebrows and grinned.

"Back in the day? You make us sound so old, Brooke."

"Well you know, 23 is two years past 21…and they say that once you're 21 it's all downhill from there. You have nothing left to look forward too." Brooke quirked while tilting her head.

"Well that's cynical."

"Eww." Brooke thought for a second. "Yeah it was, that's usually your department."

Peyton opened her mouth, trying to seem as though she was offended. However, the smile tugging at the sides of her mouth gave it away.

"I am not cynical. Just…realistic." She knew the comment would cause Brooke to roll her eyes and that's exactly what it did.

"Whatever, so are you in or out for Naley tonight?"

"Umm." Peyton thought. "Count me out tonight. My feet hurt and I'm tired. I think I'll just shower and head to bed. Gotta be up at seven again tomorrow. Yay…" She cheered sarcastically

Brooke nodded and stood back up. As she was walking to the door, she stopped with her hand on the knob and turned back slightly.

"Hey, Peyton." She called. The blonde then looked over at her with curious eyes. Brooke was focused on some of the things in Peyton's room. The old hand-me-down bed, the broken nightstand and the dresser that Peyton used for just about everything from dinner table to make up tray. All she wanted to do was help her friend, but she knew that offering money or anything of that nature would only upset her. So she decided against her original thought. "Nevermind. G'night."

"Night, Brooke."

After taking a shower, brushing her teeth and slipping into her nightgown. Peyton made her way back into the bedroom an hour or so later and suddenly, sleep didn't seem all that appealing. With a sigh, she turned around and left her room and headed for the living room. There she saw Brooke sitting on the couch, still in her work clothes, watching what appeared to be Grey's Anatomy.

As she came closer, she noticed the small tray in front of Brooke. "I can't believe you eat those things." Peyton said with her nose up.

"What?" Brooke said in defense. "They're easy, and they taste pretty good once you get used to them. Don't diss Lean Cuisine til you try it."

Brooke then patted on the spot of the couch beside her and Peyton took a seat.

Leaning back, she stared at the TV for a few seconds. "What are we watching?"

"Grey's."

"New episode?"

Brooke shook her head. "No, repeat."

"So that means it's okay for me to change it?"

Shaking her head with a smile, Brooke nodded. "I suppose, you should really give shows like this a chance, P.Sawyer."

"No thank you." She then switched it to the Discovery Channel where they were showing a documentary on whales. "See, my shows are educational."

Brooke alternated her eyes between the TV and Peyton a couple times before speaking. "Peyton, this show is called _Hail to the Whale?._ You can't be serious."

"Well it's better then…_Grey's." _Peyton said mockingly, trying to match the tone that Brooke used to describe her show. After thinking for a second, Peyton reached over and handed Brooke the remote. "Here…watch your show." She said with her best smile.

Brooke hesitantly took the remote. "What?"

"It's your TV Brooke. You pick what we watch." Peyton's voice had a reassuring tone. She then stood up and let out a small yawn. "I need to go to bed anyways, big day tomorrow." She said dryly. "Tell Nathan and Haley I said hi and…I'll probably be gone before you wake up so I'll see you in the evening." Peyton noted before turning around and heading to her room.

Brooke smiled a bit but it quickly faded. She knew that Peyton needed something to pick her up. The only problem was that she didn't know what _that_ was. Just then, her computer let out a ding, letting her know that Nathan and Haley were online.

------------------------------------------

"Hi. I'm Peyton and I'll be your waitress for this evening. Our special today is the surf and turf and it also comes with your choice of soup or salad. Can I get you anything to drink to start you guys off?" The words she'd said at least thirty times already today Peyton muttered once again.

The small family that was seated at the table were all doing something other then paying attention to what she was saying. The little boy was playing with the ice in his water. The younger girl was busy texting away to what appeared to be a boy by the hidden grin on her face. The mother flipping through her map book trying to figure out where they needed to go next. Meanwhile, the father's eyes were focused on Peyton, just…not on her face, he was a bit more south then that.

Quickly rolling her eyes, she waited until finally, the mother spoke. "I'll have an iced tea."

They all gave her their drink orders and Peyton made her way to the back. The smile quickly changed into an agitated glare as the door behind her closed.

"I need an iced tea, a coffee and two cokes, one diet and one regular!" She called out before grabbing a tray from the stack and holding it as another worker put the drinks on it. Peyton then turned and headed back for the door. Just then, another waitress said something to her from a distance in the kitchen.

"All smiles, Blondie!"

Peyton sighed and then showed her teeth before backing out the door and heading for the table with the tray balanced on her palm. She set the drinks in the proper spots before grabbing her notepad from her apron and pulling the pen out of her ear.

"Alright, what can I get ya?" After taking down each order and getting their meals out to them. Peyton waited until they left before she finally was able to take her much needed lunch break.

The chef in the back made her a club sandwich and Peyton took it to a table out back that was reserved for employees. She untied her apron and set it down beside her before scooping up her sandwich and taking a bite.

"Do you ever get anything besides that club?" A young girls voice asked from behind.

Peyton smiled, not even needing to turn around to know who it was. "I don't like change." Peyton called back as the girl took a seat beside her.

Heather McCain was a waitress here as well. Dark brown hair, pretty green eyes and a tall, slender frame. She started here a few months before Peyton showed up so they learned the ropes of waitressing together. Now however, they were the two longest running employees that didn't work in the kitchen.

"Change isn't always bad, Blondie. I mean, when they changed our uniforms last year, that was a good thing right? Or did you like the pink and white stripes?"

Peyton laughed and had no choice but to agree. "No you're right, that was a rare case of a _good _change."

"So what're you doing tonight?" Heather asked while pouring Tabasco sauce on her eggs which made Peyton's nose cringe a little.

"Oh big glamour night. I have shopping with Brooke and then I think I'm going to curl my hair. Then bedtime! It's a party every night at my house."

Heather laughed a bit as she cut her chicken fried steak up and started eating it. "Well that's better then what I have planned." She then reached into her purse and pulled out a couple rolls of quarters. "Laundry night."

"Ah, I had one of those a few nights ago. Totally rocked."

Putting her quarters up, Heather let out a groan. "Ugh, I wish something exciting would happen you know? I'm so sick of this bullshit, nonsense ass job. People should be waiting on me, not the other way around."

"Yeah tell me about it." Peyton said quietly as she continued eating. "I'm thinking about getting out of here."

"Really? Where too?"

"Don't know. Anywhere that has trees and not all this smog and…decent people maybe. Well besides present company of course."

Heather laughed. "Yeah the city folk here sure are bitchy. But I've been here for seven years so I'm used to it. You're still adjusting."

The blonde shook her head. "I don't want to adjust. I always thought I'd fit into the bit city world but…it's just not comfortable to me. I guess I'm more of a security blanket girl then I thought I was."

A silence fell over the conversation. Until Heather looked over at Peyton with a question in mind. "Where's your security blanket?"

Peyton's hazel eyes looked up to the sky as she thought. "Not really sure. Tree Hill I guess…that's where I grew up. I just have some…baggage there."

Heather raised an eyebrow. "Baggage?"

"I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count."

"Ahh, a boy?"

Peyton nodded. "Bingo."

"He break your heart?"

She shook her head. "Yeah…but it was my fault. Truth is he didn't do anything wrong. I did."

"How come it's been three years here together and you've never told me about this boy?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Peyton looked down at her plate. "Talking about him isn't exactly…good for me."

"Is he the one that turns you into the cranky girl that mopes around this place once every two weeks or so?"

Again Peyton nodded. "That's the one."

"I see. You ever talk about it? I mean….can I ask what happened or do you shoot people if they ask?"

Peyton broke into a laugh as she finished off half the sandwich. "No. It's okay. I don't tell just anyone but…you're my second closest friend so I think you pass." She wiped the crumbs off her hands and checked her watch to see how long she had to tell the story before her break ended. Turning on the bench a bit she let out a sigh and started. "I was supposed to come here to LA for a three month internship at Syre records. But that fell through in a hurry and I had every intention of going back. Then Lucas, the boy, called me and said he was going to Florida with his mom for the summer so there wasn't anything back there for me until fall. So I stayed out here with Brooke and then her parents split up and had a pretty ugly falling out. I stayed here with her and supported her through that. When it was time to go I just knew that Brooke wasn't ready to be alone. So I stuck it out a little longer and somewhere along the way I forgot to go back."

Heather took a second to soak it all in. "So wait. You left the boy to take care of Brooke? Peyton it's been five years, I'm sure she's better by now."

Peyton nodded. "She is, it's just…I don't know. She's tried to get me to go home tons of times I just never could. Once that first year passed with us apart I figured it was probably too late. I'm sure he's moved on and is happy wherever he is or whatever he's doing."

"Or he could be hurt and pining for you to finally return after all these years."

"Doubtful." Peyton said in a dry tone.

"But possible." Heather countered back in a brighter tone. "Don't ever give up the hope, Blondie. When you do that you give up everything."

Peyton couldn't help but smile. "You know, you remind me a lot of him."

"What?" Heather whined while covering her face. "Are you saying I look like a dude?"

"No! I meant in what you say and how to say it. That was a very Lucas thing that you just said."

"I see. Well we better get back in there. We don't need Carlos yelling at us again." The girls stood up and picked up their plates.

"Yeah right, we have that man tied around our fingers." Peyton smirked.

Heather let out a laugh. "So true."

------------------------------------------

"Is it true that if you squeeze a tomato you can tell how good it is?" Confused, Brooke asked as she used her fingers to press on the vegetable.

Quickly, Peyton took it out of her hands. "No, it just bruises them and then nobody can eat them."

"Oh…well I guess I should put these back." Brooke said before reaching into her bag and setting three more tomatoes on the shelf.

Peyton smiled before checking the list in her hand again. "Okay, we need…yogurt. Two isles down." Brooke grabbed the cart as the two girls made their way to the next stop. "When's Chase get back into town?" Peyton asked as they turned up the isle.

"Not for two weeks." Brooke said despondently. "I hate these stupid business trips. I wish he would have been into fashion. I so could have gotten him a job at the magazine."

"Trust me, Brooke. It's probably a good thing that Chase isn't into fashion." They shared a laugh. "How bout the happy Scotts. How were they doing? They say anything interesting last night?" Peyton asked as she put a few packages of yogurt into the cart.

"They're good." Brooke said as they made their way down another isle. "James is about to start Kindergarten soon. Haley wanted me to tell you that she is taking care of TRIC. She and Deb booked some band called…Chemical Love or…My Romantic Chemist or…something like that."

"My Chemical Romance?!" Peyton squealed with shock and excitement in her voice.

"Yeah, those guys."

"Damn, good for them. I'd love to see MCR live. Lucas and I were always going too but we never got around too it."

There was a hint of silence, one that always came at the mention of that name. "They mentioned him too." Brooke said quietly.

Peyton nodded slowly. "Yeah, how is he?"

"He's fine but…they say they're worried about him. He's been checking in less and less with them. They're planning on heading to Tree Hill to check up on him but they're not sure when they can both get time off. Apparently he has a lot on his plate right now but you know Lucas…trying to carry it all on his own."

They continued picking up the items from their list but the conversation died quickly. Peyton found herself immersed in thought. She could have easily gone back there. The reasons why she didn't were still somewhat blurry to her. All she really knows is that the internship fell through, she called to tell him, he didn't answer and she never picked up the phone again.

"Hey." Brooke's voice broke her train of thought. "Do you need cigarettes?"

Trying to remember everything that didn't involve Lucas Scott or her old life, Peyton finally nodded. "Yeah, just get me two packs. That should hold me for the week. I'll get the milk and we'll meet at checkout."

With the groceries packed and both girls in the car, they made their way back home. Taking her eyes off the road for a second, Brooke looked over at Peyton who appeared deep in thought.

"What'cha thinking about, P?"

"Hmm." Peyton broke from her thoughts. "Oh…I was thinking about you actually."

Brooke cocked her eyebrow and smirked. "P.Sawyer, you don't I don't swing that way without a lot to drink." She teased.

Peyton laughed. "Yes Brooke, I know. That's why we never drink tequila anymore." She said before sticking her tongue out. "But what I meant was I'm thinking about you and your job. Brooke you drive an hour and a half everyday to work. How come you don't move closer to your office?"

The look on Brooke's face dropped a bit. "Actually, I—I kinda have been thinking about it."

"Oh…" Peyton fought her feelings of disappointment. "That's good. Have you been looking at anything?"

Brooke shook her head. "No, it's just talk right now. I can't move or look at anything without you and Chase there."

"That's just it Brooke. You and Chase, it's your house and your future…your money. I'm tired of being the third wheel for you guys."

Shaking her head, Brooke quickly spoke. "Peyton, you're not…" She was interrupted.

"I am though. I hardly make enough money to help out with anything but my small part of the rent. Its just time for me to stop leeching off of you guys."

Brooke knew that Peyton had her mind set on this and once that happened, you couldn't change it.

"Well what would you do?"

"Well…" She thought for a second but her mind drew a blank. "I have…no idea." A small laugh escaping at the end of her words.

Brooke smiled and nodded. "Well you can stay with me until you figure it out. Besides, it's going to be a while before we can do anything. You're always welcome in my home P.Sawyer." They then pulled up to the driveway and Brooke stopped the car. "Now start loading groceries inside." She ordered teasingly.

Peyton gave her a fake salute before stepping out of the car to do as ordered.

--------------------------------

Stroking the brush gently across the white canvas, Peyton tried her best to match the beauty of the sunset outside her window. The colors were so unique that she always had a hard time finding the right hue. Dabbing her thumb on her tongue, Peyton used it to wipe off a straying streak of orange paint.

"So this is what you do in your spare time?" The voice startled Peyton who turned quickly to the door.

"Heather…" She sighed. "You scared the hell out of me."

The dark haired girl laughed. "Sorry, Brooke let me in. Is she always that chipper?"

Peyton laughed at the question and nodded while putting her paint supplies down. "Yeah, it can get annoying sometimes but for the most part she helps keeps my head up."

Heather took a seat on the bed and laid back. "Oh your bed is comfy." She said with a groan as she sunk into the mattress.

"Thanks. So what brings you by?"

"Eh, the usual. Boredom, lack of a better thing to do…that kind a thing."

Peyton rolled her eyes. "What? You didn't come because I'm awesome or because whenever you want to have fun you come to me?"

The dark haired girl let out a chuckle. "Sorry sweetie, just boredom today." Peyton was about to say something, but before she could, Heather spoke again. "Actually there is one other thing. I have two tickets to a Ray LaMontagne concert downtown this Saturday. And since you're my only friend who can pronounce his last name, I figured you'd be the best person to invite."

"I would love to go! I've been dying to see him live!" Peyton paused for a second and realized just how she must have come off. Her excitement showing a bit more then she wanted it too. "I mean…sure…sounds like it might be fun." She cleared her throat coyly as Heather stared at her with a smirk.

"Crazy-ass fan girl." Heather muttered as Peyton rolled her eyes before taking a seat on her windowsill. Checking her watch, Heather spoke again. "Well I'd better go; I'll give you the ticket at work tomorrow. See you then Blondie!"

Peyton chuckled a bit. "See ya."

As Heather left, Peyton rested her head against the wall behind her. Reaching into her purse on the floor, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes and opened it. Slipping a stick between her lips, she lit it and took a heavy drag.. She wasn't sure why she stayed here. What exactly she was waiting for in this town. However, when the chance to leave would ever show itself, Peyton always found an excuse to stay. Brooke made her feel safe, Heather did as well. In the moments she spent with them it was okay being here. But when she was alone…Peyton never felt more lost.

**Reviews are greatly appreciated, so I know whether or not to continue.**


	2. Picture

**AN: **I've turned on the anonymous reviews so any non-registered people can review now. There won't be a lot of Nathan and Haley in this story or really any other couples. It's pretty LP centric with a few new characters that I've added and some old ones will be significant as well. The actual Lucas and Peyton stuff is going to take a little time to happen, so please stick it out cause I have some good stuff coming. And we do get Lucas stuff in this chapter and more coming up.. Anyways, I hope you guys like this and thanks to my chapter one reviewers. They are always appreciated.

**Two: Picture**

_**Within you I lose myself...**_

_**Without you I find myself**_

_**Wanting to be lost again.**_

_**I'm not sure who wrote that, but whoever it was clearly has been in love before. Not the silly kid kind or the fabricated Hollywood kind…but true love. The kind of feeling that makes your heart ache and your stomach hurt, but you know that if there was a medicine to cure it you would never take it. It's that kind of longing feeling that you want to cling onto for dear life. It's the way you feel when your heart is broken, you can't stop crying and deep down…you never want that to go away because…it's all you have left of that person.**_

_**- Peyton's blog**_

_Come on P.Sawyer, it's just a picture. It's not like throwing it away is going to make all your memories of him disappear. Besides, for all you know this could be a picture of someone else's boyfriend. Just pick it up and toss it in the trash can…don't be such a baby._

Letting out a groan, Peyton rolled over in her bed, away from the small picture that lay face up on her nightstand. It was one of her and Lucas Scott on the night of prom. The photo was candid, Peyton wasn't even sure who took it, she just remembered Brooke giving it too her a few weeks afterwards. They were dancing, both of their eyes closed, faces mere inches away and each one holding a sincerely content smile. She always thought that if she just threw the photo away she would be able to let him go for good. Sure Peyton had told everyone that she was over him, why shouldn't she say that. It was her issue to deal with not theirs; the face that she still carried him around with her was her problem.

Peyton knew what kind of a boy Lucas Scott was. She knew of his compassion and charm, there was no way that he was still single after five years. Surely he didn't still think of her whenever Don't Wait by Dashboard Confessional came into his ears. There wasn't a chance that whenever the words "It's you" were somehow casually thrown together in a normal conversation that a small smile came across his face. She knew there wasn't a shot in hell that he still thought of her in those ways as she did…even though Peyton would never admit that.

Checking the watch still strapped to her wrist, Peyton shuddered at the thought of having to be to work in two hours. Especially considering that she knew sleep would be out of the question until then. Sighing heavily, Peyton decided to get in an early morning jog while the rest of the beach slept. Slipping into a pair of jogging pants and throwing on a t-shirt, Peyton headed quietly out the front door and made her way down the ocean front.

"_I can't believe we're seriously doing this, Peyton." Lucas said with a crinkled nose as he stared down at the pizza on the table in front of them._

_She let out a small giggle before grabbing a slice and sticking on his plate. "Come on, at least try it. This is my dad's special pickle and bologna pizza…you'll love it."_

"_I think I'd prefer pepperoni." He said, causing Peyton to sigh._

"_Alright, I'll make you a deal. You try this and if you don't like it. You can pick what we do tonight."_

_Suddenly, Lucas' eyebrows rose. "Really, do I get to pick what you wear too?"_

_Peyton rolled her eyes and looked up at the ceiling with playful agitation. "I was thinking something like a movie…you can be such a guy sometimes."_

"_Well." Lucas smirked. "We could always record it…that would kinda be like a movie."_

_Squinting her eyes, Peyton shook her head. "Keep dreaming, Scott. I don't do voyeur porn."_

"_Damn. Oh what if we watch…" He was abruptly cut off._

"_Don't you dare say Fight Club." Peyton protested._

"_Ugh, fine. We'll just eat nasty pizza and have boring sex again."_

_Peyton smiled and shook her head. "Well with that attitude it'll just be nasty pizza, now eat up."_

_After they finished dinner, Peyton and Lucas found themselves on her bed, cuddled up with one another. The sounds of Something Corporate playing over the speakers filled the room. Running his hand up and down Peyton's arm, he rested his head on her shoulder and let out a long breath._

"_I'm gonna miss this."_

_Peyton nodded slowly in agreement. "Yeah I know…me too. But it's only three months before we'll be right back in this spot."_

"_Yeah…" There was a pause after Lucas' voice faded out. "Are you all packed?"_

"_Yup, the flight leaves at 8:00. I'm not sure if I'm ready for the big city life though." Peyton said, resting her head against Lucas' chest._

"_Oh please, a girl who eats and sleeps the rock music scene, has opened and successfully ran tons of all age's nights at a local club. Not to mention that you're an artist waiting to be discovered. Peyton, the big city was made for you."_

_She smiled; Lucas always had the words to dissolve her hesitations or fears about almost anything. Just then, there was a knock on Peyton's bedroom door. A voice then came in from outside it in the other room._

"_Are we fully dressed in here?" Brooke called from the living room._

"_Yes." Peyton answered with a laugh._

_The door opened and in stepped Brooke with an overly stuffed envelope in her hand. "I have prom pictures! Now, there were a few good ones of all of us and then…there's this one of you two that…well it looked really good. So I had them double it so you both could have a copy." She handed them the photos. "So take a gander but don't get finger grease on them or we'll have issues and keep the double of you two, they're on the bottom. Then give em back when you're done." Before they could get a word in edgewise, Brooke was out of the room. They went through the stack, laughing at the photos of Chris Keller sitting all alone. Complimenting on how good Nathan and Haley looked and admitting that there wasn't a dress out there that Brooke Davis couldn't pull off._

_A few pictures later, they found the one of just the two of them. Their heads resting close to one another, and the both of them with true smiles on their faces. The year they'd spent together had been tumultuous to say the least. However in that picture, that moment, they were unquestionably happy._

"_This is a great picture." Lucas said as they gazed over it. He then set his eyes on Peyton. "You are beautiful."_

_Blushing a bit, she looked at him and shook her head with a shy smile. "You just want to have a repeat of that night so you're saying sweet things about me."_

_Before she could get out another word, Lucas dropped a soft kiss on her lips. "You have to admit…" He kissed her once more. "That was a great night."_

_With his hands still on her shoulders, Lucas pushed her back onto the bed slowly. Quickly, he found her neck with his lips._

"_Mm…what about Brooke? She's right next door." Peyton was able to gasp out softly as his lips slowly destroyed her resistance._

_Standing up, Lucas walked over to Peyton's drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper from her drawing pad. Grabbing a large marker as well, he wrote in big letters 'do not disturb'. After flashing it to Peyton, who giggled a bit. He put it on the door and closed it shut._

_When he turned around again, Peyton was in the process of stripping off her shirt._

"_Is Peyton Sawyer wearing lace?" Lucas asked with feign shock as he stared down at her skimpy red bra._

_Peyton laughed and nodded with a sexy smile. "Why yes she is."_

_Lucas proceeded to unbutton his shirt from top to bottom before crawling in beside her. There, she ran her hands up and down his toned chest before pushing the material down his shoulders. Their lips never parting in the process._

_Shivers ran down Peyton's spine as she felt Lucas' hands playing with the snap of her jeans. Sliding the zipper down slowly, she let out a gasp before lifting her hips so he could remove them. As he pulled them down her legs, he kissed her stomach tenderly._

_Once he discarded them to the floor, he smiled. "Oh, matching panties too, must be my lucky night."_

"_Must be…" Peyton said with a smile, leaning forward she stole a quick kiss before using her strength to turn them over, now putting herself on top. It didn't take her long to pull his pants down, leaving him a in a pair of boxers that made her laugh. "Superman? Nice." She teased._

_Lucas sat up hurriedly. "You know you love it." His voice was deep, as he whispered into her ear. Wrapping his arms around her tiny body, Lucas pulled her down with him._

_Buried under the small, red sheet of her bed, they rocked steadily back and forth. Lucas holding his body comfortably above Peyton's. Occasionally dropping a kiss on any part of her body he desired. Her eyes were closed and the sounds that were escaping her lips were enough to make his heart melt._

"_I love you…" She whispered. "Lucas, I love you…" She cried once more._

"_I love you too, baby." He huskily sighed into her neck. After a few more minutes, Peyton clung tightly to Lucas, and moments later, she was over the edge. Lucas thrust a couple more times before collapsing on top of the sweat laced girl._

_Laying side by side, limps intertwining with one another, Lucas looked over at the girl next to him and smiled. "You're beautiful, Peyt…"_

Setting down the picture frame, Karen let out a sigh. She couldn't remember the last time her son looked so happy. Standing up, she made her way out of his room and back to the kitchen. There she saw her daughter, sitting up on a stool drawing intently. Her tongue was sticking out just a bit as she colored in the lines.

Outside, the sound of a car could be heard pulling into the driveway. Hearing this, the little girl dropped her crayon and jumped off the stool. "Food's here!" She called out loudly before going to the window.

The door opened and Lucas stepped inside, a bag in one hand and playbook in the other. "Lunch time." He said while setting the bag down on the table.

"Thank you, Luke. Sorry we had to call you out on your lunch break." Karen apologized while pulling her sandwich out of the bag.

"Nah…" Lucas shook his head. "It's no big deal. Anyways, I do need to get back. Skills is going to come by and pick you guys up after work. Mom he's gonna drop you off then take Lily to the park until you're finished."

"Okay, I don't know what we'd do without you boys."

"Don't worry, you'll never know." Lucas smiled before heading to the door. "Lily, you be good. I'll see you guys tonight."

"Bye, Luke!" His baby sister called out, causing him to laugh.

"Bye sweetie." Karen said with a smile and with that, he was out the door.

As he climbed into his car, Lucas let out a heavy breath while clutching onto the steering wheel. He could really feel it now, the stress and fear was drilling its way into his body. Ignoring it for the moment, Lucas shifted his truck into drive and pulled out of the driveway.

Suddenly, his cell phone rang. Reaching into his center console and picked it up. "Yeah..."

"What up, Luke. You headed back to work?"

"Yup." You still gonna be able to pick up my girls this afternoon?" Lucas asked while turning into the parking lot of his work.

"I should be able too. Where are you gonna be this afternoon?"

"I have to go talk to the some people about payment for a few things. Anyways, I have another call, so I'll talk to you later tonight, man." Lucas said hurriedly.

"Alright, later."

Lucas then pressed the button to pick up his incoming call. "Hello."

"Mr. Scott, this is Dr. Jennings. I was wondering if there was any chance you could stop by my office this afternoon."

Running through his schedule in his head, Lucas decided that no matter what, he needed to make room for this. "Yeah, I'll be there between three and four. Is that okay?"

"Sounds good, Lucas. I'll see you then."

With that, he flipped his phone shut and dropped it on his lap before pulling into the parking lot. Who figured this visit would be coming, they took the tests last week and eventually the results had to come. Whether or not Lucas was ready to face them, he had no choice now.

--------------------------------------

Glancing into the mirror with a squinted gaze, Peyton adjusted her bangs slightly. She knew tonight was going to be great. Good music, good company…it was just what the doctor had ordered. Her outfit was a vintage Led Zeppelin T' and a pair of low cut jeans. Tonight was going to be her night to cut loose and just enjoy herself.

"Looking good, P.Sawyer." Brooke called out while she walked through Peyton's door. "I haven't seen you this dressed up for anything since…" She paused and thought. "When was the last time you dressed up?"

Peyton smiled. "It's been a while. This isn't really dressed up though. It's just extra makeup and a comb through my hair." She laughed.

"Yeah well you did more then just run a comb through it, your hair looks great." Compliments were always good to hear from Brooke. Especially since she was a walking fashion outlet.

"Thanks. Tonight is going to be great, I really need it too." Brooke nodded in agreement as Peyton threw on her leather jacket. "So what're you're plans?"

Brooke shrugged. "Nothing really, probably just an all night phone night with Chase. It's been two days since we've had one of those."

Peyton's mouth dropped with sarcastic shock. "Wow, I'm surprised you're still alive!"

"Shut up." Brooke spat while tossing a pillow at her friend. "Don't make me kick your ass and mess up your hair."

"Mess up my hair and I'll rearrange your jaw line." She teased while sticking her tongue out slightly.

From downstairs, the telephone rang and Brooke jumped up. "I bet that's Chase! Have fun tonight, Peyt." She shouted while running down the steps.

With a smile on her face, Peyton made her way back into her small bathroom and reached into the medicine cabinet. She pulled out a bottle of perfume and sprayed it in the air before walking through it slowly. It wasn't every night that Peyton was able to do things like this, so she was going to go all out.

Turning back to her room, Peyton jumped when she saw Brooke standing right behind her. "Shit, you scared the…" That's when she noticed her friend's expression. That old, sinking feeling hit her stomach. "What's wrong?"

"That was the hospital. Something happened to Heather…you were the person she told them to call."

Tears formed in Peyton's eyes almost immediately. "I—I…" Her shaky voice couldn't force out a word.

"Come on…I'll drive you." Brooke said reassuringly before wrapping her arm through Peyton's and leading her downstairs.

The ride there wasn't long. They were at least 40 miles from the hospital and Brooke could tell that Peyton was already breaking up. Placing her hand on Peyton's, she tried her best to calm the blonde down.

"I'm here, Peyt. Everything's going to be fine."

Peyton had heard those words before, more times then she could remember. _It's all going to be okay…everything is fine. _Despite how wonderful it would be to believe that, Peyton had trained her mind not too anymore.

Once they arrived, Peyton and Brooke rushed through the front door.

"Excuse me!" Peyton called out to the first person she saw in a white coat. "Excuse me!" The doctor finally turned to face her. "I need to know where Heather Banks is…what room?"

"Go to the front desk, ma'am."

Doing as directed, Peyton and Brooke found themselves at the lobby desk. "I need to find Heather Banks, please."

The woman behind the counter checked her charts before finally locating the name. "She's in ICU, room 124. She can't have visitors for at least another hour, she's in surgery."

With a heavy breath, Peyton asked the question she really didn't want to. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry are you family?" The receptionist asked.

"No, but the person who called us said we were the ones Heather told to call. She doesn't have any family here in California."

"I see..." She took a second. "Ms. Banks was assaulted outside of her home. A neighbor heard the commotion and called the police but they were there too late. The assailants were already gone."

"Is she going to be okay?" Brooke asked almost absentmindedly.

"I'm sorry ladies but I don't know. The doctors are doing all they can. She was beaten up pretty badly."

Standing there for a moment and soaking it all in, Peyton was able to find another question. "So what'd we do for now."

"All you can do now is wait. She's in surgery now, it might be an hour it might be five, we don't know."

Taking her hand, Brooke led Peyton to the waiting room and the two sat down. After a few minutes, Brooke saw the hurt in her friend's features. Reaching over, she wrapped her arm around Peyton's head and pulled her in close. Peyton couldn't help but feel a bit of déjà vu. It seemed that during all the big moments of her life, she was always doing the same thing…waiting.


	3. Everything Changes

**Thank you to all my reviewers, they are greatly appreciated!  
**

**Three: Everything Changes**

"_**We say that the hour of death cannot be forecast, but when we say this we imagine that hour as placed in an obscure and distant future. It never occurs to us that it has any connection with the day already begun or that death could arrive this same afternoon, this afternoon which is so certain and which has every hour filled in advance." Marcel Proust**_

**Nine Days Later**

It always amazed her. Peyton could never understand how the sun could be shining so bright on such a sad day. How she could possibly shed tears when the sky was so blue and beautiful. Pulling of the black gloves covering her hands, she reached for the door and opened it.

Stepping into the house, Peyton let out a sigh as she shed her long overcoat. Looking down the hall, she saw a much needed familiar face coming towards her.

"How was it?" Brooke asked with a soft voice before giving Peyton a small hug.

The two girls moved to the couch and sat down. "It's was nice."

"You okay?"

"Yeah…" There was a pause as Peyton closed her eyes. "Not really." She said with a sob in her throat.

"Come here…" Brooke softly spoke before reaching over and pulling the blonde into her arms. It had been six days since Heather Banks had been murdered and in that time Peyton had held strong. However, today, at this moment in her best friend's arms, she broke down.

-----------------------------------

"I need a couple coffees and some bacon and eggs."

Calling from behind the counter, Michaela Chambers shouted the order out. Sticking the pencil back into the bun of her hair she let out a sigh and leaned over the marble countertop.

Flashing her smile, she watched as the cook stepped from the back. "How should I cook the eggs?"

"They said they wanted the 'Karen special'. Can her son make that?"

Laughing, Lucas nodded. "Yes, it's just scrambled eggs with sausage and cheese in them."

"Ah, well get in there then." She shoved him teasingly towards the oven. Stumbling back, Lucas opened the fridge and pulled out a few eggs, a slab of bacon and a roll of sausage.

Cutting the sausage package open with a knife, he threw it in the pan. "First customer of the day. I don't know how she did this for 22 years."

Watching him from behind, Michaela couldn't help but feel for him. She knew that Lucas was going through a lot right now and despite his tough exterior, she knew it was weighing heavy on him.

"Yeah, your mom is pretty incredible though. How's she been?"

Making sure not to stop making the food, Lucas answered. "She's doing okay. Sometimes I wonder which one of us is actually going through all this. She seems to take this better then I do most of the time." There was a small laugh in his throat but Michaela could tell that it was forced.

Walking over close to him, she leaned down on the table beside him and picked up the small egg beater and handed it too him. "I know give you a lot of crap…but…you do know that I'm here for you right? If you or your mom needs anything."

"Yeah I know." Lucas smiled. After a short pause, he spoke again. "It's feels kinda surreal." His voice trailed off.

"What's that?"

"All this…I can honestly say that I didn't see myself here, working here, five years after high school."

With a sigh, Michaela picked up a small bit of cheese and ate it. "Where did you see yourself in five years back then?"

"Not here." Lucas turned his focus away from the stove. "I saw myself writing more…maybe…that being the focus of my life. Or coaching the basketball team…"

"The Ravens right?"

"Yeah. But when mom found out she was sick…I knew she couldn't stand to lose this place so I dropped everything and came back here to support her and the café…I hired you to help me out and…I still can't believe you're here three years later."

Michaela laughed a bit and nodded. "Yeah well, I paid my way through school but…I figured you needed me here more then the hospital did."

"Well I appreciate it." Lucas said while scooping the eggs onto a plate. "He wanted coffee right?"

Michaela nodded and pulled a mug out of the cabinet. "Black." She watched as he poured the liquid into the cup. Studying his movements, she let out a long breath and spoke again. "You ever have a girlfriend, Luke?"

Cocking an eyebrow, Lucas handed her the plate and coffee. "You mean besides you?" He watched as she turned with a smile and walked out of the kitchen to give her customer his order. A moment later she was back behind the counter.

"You know, I don't think that week we dated counts as us being a couple."

"We did sleep together." Lucas teased.

"That was like…a year later, and we were drunk." Michaela defended while shaking her head with a laugh in her throat. "Now stop avoiding my question. Who was your last real girlfriend?"

Letting out a sigh, Lucas took a seat on a stool in the back and lowered his head, but still kept his eyes on her. "Her name was Peyton…but…she moved away."

"Ah, the Sawyer girl."

Flashing a quizzical look, Lucas stood up. "How do you know about her?" He asked.

"Well despite the fact that it seems as though I spend all my time here, I do talk to other people in this town. And…word on the street is that you two were pretty happy together."

"Word on the street?"

Michaela shrugged and smiled. "Okay, so your mom told me about her. How come you didn't go after her?"

"I don't know…" He said quietly, hoping the conversation would end there. However, he knew deep down that Michaela wouldn't let it go.

"Yes you do…you never talk about her. There's gotta be a reason."

Rubbing his hands together nervously, Lucas refused to look at her. "There is…I just don't like to bring her up that's all."

Nodding, Michaela knew it was time to drop it. "Alright, I won't ask you anymore questions. But we have a group of three that just came into the door and you know I'm not judgmental but…based on the size of their waistline…you're going to have a lot of cooking to do."

Lucas laughed as Michaela did the same. "Grab the orders, I'll get my spatula ready."

---------------------------------

Hanging up her cell phone, Peyton let out a long breath and closed her eyes. Days like this were always tough; it seemed almost unfair that she had dealt with so many of them in her life. Turning to the door, she left her room and made her way into the living room. There, she saw Brooke sitting on the couch and the two made eye contact. Patting down the spot beside her, she called Peyton over and the blonde obliged.

"Who was on the phone?" She asked while Peyton sat down heavily.

"Derek." Peyton rested her head on Brooke's shoulder. "He's coming down next week, he's going to follow me to Tree Hill with his truck so I can bring my bed and all the big stuff."

Nodding, Brooke placed her hand on her best friend's cheek. "We're gonna miss you here, P.Sawyer."

"I know…I'm going to miss you guys too." Sitting up, Peyton climbed off the couch and walked over to the small closet by the front door. "I was hoping to show you this when Chase was home but…I made you guys something. Consider it a going away gift from me for all you two have done for me." Peyton then pulled out a square object that appeared to be a picture frame. It was covered with a gray sheet and was fairly large.

"Peyton, you shouldn't be giving us gifts."

"No, it's okay…I've been working on it for a while, I found a beautiful picture of the two of you on your wedding day and well…take a look." She handed the large picture to Brooke who slowly unveiled it.

A small gasp escaped her lips as she gazed upon it. It was a painting of her and Chase from their wedding day. The moment the two of them exchanged their first kiss as a married couple, right as they were parting. Both of them wearing smiles, eyes locked on one another, the happiest time of their lives.

"Oh my gosh…it's beautiful Peyt…"

Blushing a bit, Peyton lowered her head with a small smile. "It's nothing." She said shyly.

"It's more then that…thank you, Peyton. This is so going up in our room…right above the bed."

Peyton could tell by the look on Brooke's face that she really did like it, a fact that satisfied her immensely. "I'm glad you like it."

"I love it." Brooke called from her bedroom as she hung the painting up as she said she would. "Since you gave me this…I have something for you too." Stepping back into the living room, Peyton saw that Brooke had a small box in her hand.

"Brooke, you don't have to give me anything…"

"Shut up, yes I do. After that gorgeous painting, you're getting something dammit." Peyton knew there was no refusal she could find that would work now.

Taking the small box into her hand, she opened it and her eyes lit up. "Holy shit…" She said almost unconsciously. "Brooke this is your diamond heart pendant. The one your mom gave you…I can't take this." Peyton said while trying hand it back to the brunette.

"Yes you can…Peyton…you have to take it." Brooke insisted.

"Why?"

"Because it's beautiful and it's useless in my jewelry box. I can't wear that, Peyton. It reminds me of what my parents put me through with their divorce. If anyone should have it…I want it to be you."

Taking the small pendant in her hand, Peyton smiled and then hugged her best friend. "Thanks, Brooke."

"Don't mention it." They pulled back from the hug but kept their hands together. "Now, this is your last week here…we need to make every night kick ass, so what'd you want to do tonight?"

Peyton thought for a second before a small grin painted across her face. "We could sit on the couch, eat ice cream until we puke and go through old yearbooks making fun of people."

"I love the way your mind works, P.Sawyer!" Brooke squealed with delight. "You go make the ice cream, I'll go round up a few yearbooks."

Peyton watched with a smile as Brooke rushed off into her bedroom. She couldn't help but feel a sting of regret. True, this town scared the hell out of her after what happened to Heather, but Peyton knew that she would miss Brooke like crazy. So for the next seven days, she had to make the most out of the time with her best friend.

-----------------------------------

"Hello."

"Hey Nate…" Lucas said in a quiet voice, looking out his door to see if Lily's light was off.

"Lucas." Nathan grumbled sleepily. "Its 11:30 man, why are you calling so late? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah everything's fine, I'm sorry to call so late it's just…this was the only time I could get a chance to do it." Leaning back, Lucas rested heavily against his pillow. The exhaustion of the day washing over him.

"It's been a while since you've checked in. We were starting to get worried, bro." Nathan's voice held a serious tone so Lucas knew he meant it.

"Things have been pretty crazy around here…" His voice trailed off.

There was a small pause. Nathan finally decided to come right out and ask. "How's she doing?"

Letting out a sigh, Lucas ran his fingers through his hair and took a long breath. "She's fighting…it's a lot to handle, with Lily and the café but…we're doing what we can."

"Yeah, I wish we were there to help you out but…James starts school here soon and there's no way Haley can give up her job. She just got promoted last week."

"No." Lucas quickly retorted. "Don't even consider it, Nate. I appreciate the gesture but I'll get by…we've made it this far."

"Actually…" Nathan said but waited a second to finish his thought, wanting to word it just right. "I have some news you might be interested in hearing."

"What's that?"

"Well…I'm not supposed to tell you and if Haley finds out I did she'll kill me but…Peyton's coming home."

The conversation grew silent. Nathan could still hear Lucas breathing on the other but there were no words being exchanged. "Luke?"

"Why?" He asked dryly.

"I'm not really sure, Brooke just told us last night. Apparently something happened over there and Peyton says she needs to go back to Tree Hill. I would bet the house that you're a big reason she's going back."

"Well she'd better not unpack." Lucas spat. "She'll be lucky if I give her the time of day."

All Nathan could do was laugh, he tried to hide it but to no avail.

"What are you laughing about?" Defensively, Lucas asked.

"I'm sorry…it's just…do you really believe that you'll be able to treat Peyton like that?"

Reaching into his bedside drawer, Lucas pulled out a small photo that he kept under his Raven's state championship ring box. Setting his eyes on it, he shook his head and pursed his lips a bit.

"She screwed me over, Nathan. I shouldn't be forced to just accept her back into my life…she shouldn't expect that."

"I'm sure she doesn't. But there was no anchor tied to your ass either, you and I both know you could have gone after her. Plus you know as well as I do that Peyton won't give up until you and her are okay again. She's just as stubborn as you are, Luke."

Letting out a grumble, Lucas rolled over onto his side and slid the photo back into the drawer. "Haley was right, you shouldn't have told me." He said with a small laugh.

Nathan chuckled. "At least you have a little time to prepare now."

"When is she coming?"

"A week I think…Derek is driving up there with her." Closing his eyes, Lucas listened as Nathan said something that made the news seem a bit better. "Lucas, nobody is saying you have to be together or go out with her. But…it sounds like you could use more help down there and could you think of a better person to do that then Peyton?"

Rubbing his forehead, Lucas looked back out his bedroom door. It had been rough here since they found out about Karen's condition. Lucas worked at least a few hours everyday, plus five full days. Money was tight and having to do so much with the raising of his sister forced any free time he had spent with her. He didn't mind, he loved spending time with Lily. His writing had suffered and basically all the aspirations he had about potentially coaching someday were slipping away.

"Luke?" Nathan broke his thought.

"Sorry…" Lucas snapped out of his trance. "I think I'm gonna go to bed, man. Sorry I called so late."

Nathan could tell that Lucas was brooding over this. He also knew that Peyton was probably the best thing that could happen to Lucas and his family right now.

"It's okay…talk to you later, Luke."

"Bye…" With that, Lucas hung up his phone and set it beside his bed.

Closing his eyes, Lucas thought back to that day, a day he hadn't allowed himself to think about…the last time he ever saw her.

_The cool air of the ceiling fan rotating above him caused his eyes to open. Rolling over in the bed, Lucas picked up his head and looked around…the left side of the bed was empty. Just then, he heard the sound of a zipper closing and his eyes finally found her. Fully dressed, unlike he was, she looked beautiful as he stared at her. A few moments later, she turned to face him, a smile painting her face and a picture he wanted to keep in his memory forever._

"_Hey you." Lucas called out to her softly._

_Peyton slowly made her way to the bed, sitting down beside him and resting her hand on his bare back. "Hi…your hair is a mess." She teased. "You sleep good?"_

"_Mm…" Lucas smirked. "Very good. What time is it?" He asked, his demeanor changing a bit._

"_7:25…Brooke's getting a few things packed into her carry on and then the cab will be here."_

_Lucas could see the sadness in her eyes. He knew she was torn between going and staying here with him. As badly as he would love to tell her to stay, he also realized that this was a big deal for Peyton, despite the fact she was scared to leave him._

"_I wish I could drive you guys down there."_

"_Yeah, but you have to go help your mom at 8:00. Besides, I don't want to have a cheesy airport goodbye." Peyton said lightheartedly._

"_That's way to 'teen movie' for us."_

_Peyton grabbed Lucas' shirt from the ground, he took it from her and slipped it on. _

"_Alright, Peyt, the cab will be here in five!" Brooke's voice carried from across the house._

_Locking eyes for a second, Lucas reached over and placed his hand on her neck, pulling her in for a kiss. It was a long, passionate moment that both of them sank into. Knowing that it would be their last kiss for at least three months, they made sure to put the absolute most into it._

_Pulling back, Peyton's hands were clenched onto the collar of Lucas' shirt. Her eyes still closed as he gazed upon her face._

"_If you ever feel lonely, remember that I'm always thinking of you."_

_Opening her eyes, Peyton's smile was full as she spoke. "How long did you work on that one?" She teased lovingly._

"_Since about Friday…was it good?"_

_She shrugged her shoulders. "Decent, but…I think you forgot something."_

"_I love you…more then anything."_

_Peyton dropped a soft kiss on his lips. "There ya go." She slid her feet off the bed but stayed close to him. "I love you too…I'll be calling you soon. Tell you mom and Lily bye for me okay."_

_Lucas nodded. "I will…have fun."_

_They kissed once more and before he knew it, she was out of the room and headed outside. Lucas stood up and grabbed his jeans and slipped into them. He put on his watch and picked up the rest of his things. Peyton's room was virtually empty. Her desktop computer was still here but she'd put all her stuff on the laptop. Her stereo was gone and all her albums were boxed up. Her closet was empty and all the drawers were cleaned out. Even the posters that covered her walls were taken down._

_It was as if every trace of Peyton Sawyer was leaving Tree Hill. All he would have for the next three months was the picture in his memory of her smile._

_However, before he could get out another thought, Peyton came rushing in through the bedroom door and quickly pressed her lips against his. Just as quickly, she pulled back._

"_Sorry…I just…yeah…I'll see you later…love you!" She called out while rushing out the door and back out of the house._

_Lucas smiled half-heartedly as the cab outside finally pulled away. This was, without question, going to be the longest summer of his life._

"Luke!" The tiny voice awoke him from the dream he'd slipped into. "Mommy needs help!"

Before he could even conjure up a thought, Lucas was on his feet and rushing in the direction of his sister's calls.

"Mom…what's wrong?" He asked frantically as he watched her kneeled down over the toilet. "Lily, get me a cold rag, please…"

Watching as his sister rushed out of the bathroom, Lucas knelt down beside his mother and carefully placed his hand on her back. Rubbing it softly, he felt his whole body tense up at the sight of his mom in so much pain.

"Get it out, Mom. I'm here…" Lucas' voice was shaky as he tried his best to remain steady.

"Here." Turning back, he saw Lily carrying a small rag in her hand. Her eyes were tear filled and she looked so small and innocent. Lucas wished he could take her out of this situation, not child should have to see her mother like this.

"Thanks…" He looked back and saw that Karen was away from the toilet and looking at her two children. "Here, Mom."

Karen placed the cloth on her head as she rested against the wall behind her.

"Are you okay, Mommy?" Lily asked innocently.

Using most of the strength she had left, Karen nodded. "Yeah, baby…sorry for this."

"Don't apologize, Mom. Just so long as you're alright. You are…right?"

"I am…I need to lie down though." Her voice was rough and weak

Lucas nodded. "Alright…Lil…can you pull her bedding down for me?" His sister nodded and headed to Karen's bedroom.

Wrapping his mother's arm around his neck, Lucas helped her to her feet. They walked down the hall and into her room before she lied down.

It wasn't even a minute later that she was asleep and Lucas, who was holding Lily in his arms, turned out her light and went back down the hall.

He stopped in his sister's room and she crawled into her own bed. Lucas then took a seat beside her. "How about you…are you gonna be able to sleep tonight?"

The little girl thought for a second before nodding slowly. "Yeah…but will you come if I need you?"

"Of course…I'm just across the hall if you need anything." He kissed her forehead. "You were very strong back there…I really appreciate your help with mom." Lucas praised her with a smile.

"You're welcome. How…how much longer is mommy going to be sick, Luke?"

Cringing a bit at her question, Lucas tried to hide his sorrows about that topic from his sister. "I'm not sure, Lil…but we'll be okay…we're gonna get through this, okay."

Lily nodded. "Okay…G'night Lucas."

"Night."

Standing up and leaving her room, Lucas began to wonder that himself. Could they actually get through all this? It was really starting to get tough and Karen's condition only seemed to worsen with each passing day. All he could think was maybe…maybe Nathan _was_ right.

**Let me know what you thought!**


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